Several protocols for multicasting are known in the prior art. Such protocols can generally be classified as either tree-based multicasting protocols or mesh-based multicasting protocols. Tree-based protocols generate less traffic than mesh-based protocols. However, tree-based protocols typically lack routing redundancy, which can be particularly useful in mobile ad hoc networks in which multicast routes frequently shift due to moving network nodes.
In typical mesh multicasting protocols, nodes are added to a mesh by invitation of a source node. Accordingly, the source node needs to know the location of all nodes in the mesh and the location of nodes that might join the mesh. In addition, typical mesh multicast protocols utilize large meshes, in order to make the mesh available to non-mesh members to join the mesh. These large meshes require additional processing and traffic overhead to maintain.